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About the writer

I was born in London in 1946, the middle child of three. The family moved to Harlow in Essex when it was a very small, new town with an enthusiastic community spirit.

I went to S. Martin’s College of Education, main subjects English and Music, and became a primary school teacher, returning to Harlow for my first job. The following year I married John, we moved to Biggleswade in Bedfordshire and during the next seven years our two children were born. During that time I studied with the Open University and achieved a BA.

In 1975 John was offered a promotion if he moved to North Yorkshire and we were delighted, having had many happy camping holidays in the area.

Writing has always been something I enjoyed whether it was a poem, story or holiday diary. When I retired early from teaching I went to a creative writing class. Out of that a self help group was formed called The Next Chapter. We invited a local author, Jackie Buxton, to run a course called ‘Write a book in a Year’ and I have to thank her and the group for their encouragement.

The idea for the novel came to me many years after a brief encounter with a young boy who came to my school. He was a refugee from Kosovo and did not stay long in the village. He told me his experience of war torn Pristina and it has haunted me ever since. The book, ‘Forced to Flee’, is not his story but the character of Davud is based on him.
I am excited about the imminent appearance of my new, fantasy, novel, ‘Pathway Back’. Find out more in Books.